Karen S. Wiesner: Three-Dimensional Writing, Part 2

Writer's Craft Article by Karen S. Wiesner

Three-Dimensional Writing, Part 2

Based on Three-Dimensional Fiction Writing (formerly titled Bring Your Fiction to Life {Crafting Three-Dimensional Stories with Depth and Complexity})

This is the second of three posts dealing with three-dimensional fiction writing.

In Part 1, we talked about Present and Past Self. Let's continue.

Future Self

In contrast to backstory, the future we're talking about in respect to "future dimension" is not specifically referring to actual future events of the fictional characters we create. Nor is it a "futuristic" way of looking at what's going to happen at some point in the story of this character's life. In other words, we're not trying to show the character in a setting or situation decades in the future of the current story. Instead, the future self is about projecting forward to what may come in the future, what resolution may result at the conclusion of the story, based on the ever-evolving development of current events.

            Ask yourself these questions:

·                     What does your character want in life?

·                     What will it take to get that?

·                     What might change if she gets it?

·                     Just as important, what would happen if she doesn't get it?

·                     What's at stake? 

If you don't give characters fully fleshed out situations, conflicts, and goals and motivations for the future, you've essentially left the reader with nothing to hope for or look forward to. He won't be inspired to rage when it looks like the character might not succeed in her goals, nor will he be held in suspense waiting for the worst to happen. Whispers of the best and the worst that could happen are the very things that keep the reader engaged in the story. Don't underestimate the importance of including this in each and every scene of your story. Without an undertone of what's ahead, a reader will read each page wondering Where is all this going? What's the point of this? Is it worth reading? These hints are the very things that keep the reader engaged scene by scene.

 

To show future dimension of self is a way of allowing readers something to either anticipate and/or dread in terms of where the characters and story are going, as well as project possibilities, expectations, apprehensions, and anxiety about what might happen in the future at each stage in the storytelling. You want to produce suspense and outright tension, excitement, and trepidation. Bottom line, you want to create an uncertainty of outcome in every stage without creating an illogical or unsatisfactory resolution. The future dimension anchors and deepens the context for a resolution because the reader needs to be aware from one scene to the next where this story is (or may be) going, in what the direction events are unfolding, and where it may (or may not) conclude.

Obviously this is something that is constantly evolving in response to the character's own direction throughout the story. It's often been said that the beginning of a book should resonate at the end of the story. An opening scene or scenes should include, in some capacity, a hint of the character's ideal goal, what she ultimately wishes for her future. The bridge scenes that carry the middle of a story will gradually reflect or challenge this ideal as plots develop in reaction to internal and external conflicts, and as the character's goals and motivations transform. The resolution scenes will also mirror that objective, though it's unlikely that "The End" is exactly what the character envisioned at the beginning. In fact, that initial outcome is usually undesirable by the time the last scene comes, because all writers should strive for a logical—but unpredictable—ending.

The point is, without that future dimension that looks ahead toward the possible outcomes of a story, the reader won't be grounded in knowing exactly what he should be hoping for and rooting to happen. A reader who isn’t engaged is one you’ll lose sooner or later. For that reason, future dimension is as pivotal as the present and past.

All main characters need a fully fleshed-out future dimension of a character, woven in throughout scenes. Human beings desire purpose; Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is at the heart of the reader's hope/dread response as a story is being told. We all have strengths and weaknesses, dreams and regrets, vices and virtues, failures and accomplishments, boundaries to set and hurdles to overcome. In combination, these will begin in our formative years; they will be the foundation of the person we currently are, and shape who we become in the future. Weaving this future dimension of self throughout a story is vitally important. Without it, there can be no satisfactory, logical—yet unpredictable—ending. If you can’t create a longing in readers for the main character to reach her story goal right from the start, to resolve with fierce motivation her conflicts and fulfill her goals, there’s no reason to read (or for the author to write) the book.

In the most condensed form, you'll see a main character’s three-dimensions seamlessly woven into nearly every story synopsis you read. To help you practice this, read a variety of back cover blurbs from published books and try to pinpoint which aspects are present, past and future self of the main character. Once you can identify them, try to write your own story summaries with the three dimensions in mind.

Without each of these “self” dimensions clearly defined before you start writing your story, your characters may end up two-dimensional at best—they’ll have shape without form. In the ideal, you’ll know your characters, plots and settings so well before you begin the multi-layered task of bringing the book to fruition, the groundwork for three-dimensional writing will be laid out and just waiting for you to root deeply into each scene you write.

In Part 3, we'll talk about adding depth and dimension to your story scenes.

Karen S. Wiesner is the author of Three-Dimensional Fiction Writing

Volume 5 of the 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collection

http://www.writers-exchange.com/3d-fiction-fundamentals-series/

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/writing-reference-titles.html

Happy writing!

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series. Visit her here:

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

http://www.facebook.com/KarenWiesnerAuthor

International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts

Most of this week, I'll be at the ICFA in Orlando, the second year we've had a live gathering since the pandemic started.

I'll report on the con next week.

Margaret L. Carter

Carter's Crypt

Karen S. Wiesner: Three-Dimensional Writing, Part 1

Writer's Craft Article by Karen S. Wiesner

Three-Dimensional Writing, Part 1

Based on Three-Dimensional Fiction Writing (formerly titled Bring Your Fiction to Life {Crafting Three-Dimensional Stories with Depth and Complexity})

This is the first of three posts dealing with three-dimensional fiction writing.

The word “three-dimensional” is not only easy to define as solid, realistic, rounded and lifelike, even living, but it also translates well into the craft of writing. Most writers know what is not three-dimensional writing. Simple words convey the concept: flat, cardboard, paper doll, unrealistic, unremarkable, un- or underdeveloped, dead. Writing that is three-dimensional seems to have length (the foundation of a story), width (structure), and depth (fully-fleshed-out characters, plots and settings rooted in layers of rich, textured scenes).

Three-dimensional writing is what allows a reader to step through the pages of a book and enter the world created, where plot and characters are in that glorious, realistic realm that starts with little more than a line and progresses into shape and finally represents solid form. Once three-dimensionality is grasped, all things are possible: direction, motion, focus, vivid color, texture, harmony, variety in which change is attainable and value becomes concrete. Three-dimensional writing needs to start with three-dimensional characters.

Three-Dimensional Characters

Using sketches to develop character is the technique that comes closest to reaching the 3-D goal. However, the biggest problem is that only one dimension of main character is generally sketched out on these worksheets: Namely, the “present self” character. Each main character in a book needs a present self (the person he is in the now of the active story), a past self (who this individual was before that led him into becoming who he currently is), and a future self (who he’ll be in the time ahead, refined and shaped by current situations, conflicts, other characters, and his settings). If you want three-dimensional protagonists and antagonists with heartbreakingly realistic conflicts set in a world so vivid readers can actually enter it alongside the characters, you need to have all three “self” dimensions.

Character Dimensions: Present, Past and Future

Main characters need to be three-dimensional with a past, a present and a future, or they have no purpose in the story. So a simple character sketch worksheet that covers the most crucial aspects would include the following:

Main Character: Present/Past/Future Self

Name: 

Character Role: (hero, heroine, secondary character, villain)

Physical Descriptions:

Personality Traits:

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Relationships: (parents, other important family and friends, romantic interests, enemies)

Occupation/Education/Hobbies/Interests:

Plots/Subplots for this Character:

External Conflicts:

Internal Conflicts:

Goals and Motivations:

Important Settings for this Character:

Defining characters in the 3-D sketches allows you, the author, to know main characters through and through. Remember the difference in three-dimensional writing is that you’ll have a separate sketch for each main character that includes his present, past and future self. So take the basic sketch above and duplicate it three times across a landscaped page with three columns, labeling the sketches: “Present Self”, “Past Self” and “Future Self”.

The main reason writers don’t usually do a character sketch for each dimension of self is because they don’t think much will change from one sketch to the next, but characters wouldn’t be growing and developing if they remained static. Also, think of it this way: Are you the same person you were when you were born, two months old, 16 or 25 years old? Of course not. You can be sure you won’t be exactly the same person you are now 10 years, or even one year, from today either. In the same way, in order to create layered, developing characters you have to see where they are currently, where they came from, and where they may be heading. But it is true that too much shouldn’t change from one dimension to the next. A radical change in character is possible but usually only in extreme cases and only with solid justification. Alterations between the dimensional sketches will likely be subtle but allow development and growth to flourish. Out of these sketches, your story should begin to evolve organically.

These sketches aren’t simply a setting down of facts but the why. Digging deeper, what events, situations, people and places caused this character to think and act, react and interact the way she did, the way she does currently, the way she will do in the future?

To ensure you’re getting the maximum amount of “dimension” out of each self sketch, go back over them numerous times to make all as fleshed out as you possibly can. Obviously, though, not everything you end up putting in your sketches will make it into your story. There’s good cause for not overloading a book with the sheer weight of each main characters’ three-dimensional self, but the writer’s thorough knowledge of each dimension of the character not only benefits him but will certainly be worth the work put in because three-dimensional characters are haunting, timeless and unforgettable.

Present Self

In sketching the present dimension, you're essentially starting every character in the middle of her story. However, starting your sketches with the present dimension makes the most sense. Present character is always the person she is currently and sets the focus of the story you’re writing in the here and now. The more you get to know the character through present dimension, the more development you’ll gain in sketching her past and future dimensions. After all, a character's reaction to her experiences has a direct bearing on who she is and becomes, the choices she makes, and the actions she takes all through her life.

Maybe it's true that most people do have an innate way of being, conceivably born to act in a certain way, but in a work of fiction, a genetic disposition is of limited use. Instead, we focus on the universal truth that—like real people—almost all of a character's traits in the present are the result of the coping strategies used (good, bad, and everything between) and lessons learned (again, these reflect choices that are easy, hard, and all the nuances in-between) in every situation faced and the behavior that results. These are layers of that person's entire makeup. These change subtly over time. Naturally, the deeper you go into someone's past and psyche, the more your understanding of all that's shaped her growth.

When sketching the present dimension, you're creating a character who's worth following all the way through a story to the end. A good present dimension character will convey in a creative way what she's learned in life, what matters most to her in her current situation, and how she'd like her life to change or how she fears it will change. This is probably the easiest dimension, the one few authors would leave out since there would be no true story without it.

Past Self

Detailing the present dimension of your character is only the beginning. You need to weave pieces of the past throughout a story to flesh out the character’s past dimension. You can't truly understand who someone is until you've seen her developmental years, what she’s been through, and where she’s come from. I love how K.M. Weiland describes this in Improve Your Character Instantly: Just Add a Ghost when she says that what all characters have in common are the depths of their backstories. "They arrive at the beginning of their stories with baggage already in tow." (Incidentally, the "ghost" here is something from the past that haunts the character. Brilliant!) Baggage can be another term for the past dimension, a character's backstory.

The dictionary definition of backstory for fiction is the history or background created for a character that impacts the current events of the story. Backstory is everything that occurred before the current story that directly impacts what will happen in the story. But it’s only necessary to include backstory that's relevant to current choices, decisions, or events. But, as I’ve said, the author needs to know backstory in advance in order to authentically layer his characters.

It's been said that backstory shouldn't be placed at the beginning of a story, but that's only partially true. While front-loading a story with huge chunks of backstory isn't ideal (it could get incredibly boring or hard for the reader to digest if too much comes at once), we need to enlighten and engage readers, not overwhelm and crush out any interest with overkill. The true issue is that pieces (not great chunks) of backstory are needed at all stages of a story. Fragments of backstory need to be placed carefully throughout a story from the beginning all the way through to the end. Doing this will reveal character, plot, and setting in all dimensions.

While it’s popular to crop out the past dimension to meet a limited word count, too much shearing will prove detrimental to the three-dimensionality of any story. On the other hand, there is a point where too much can be overkill and would be better placed in the notes of an annotated version of the book, should your popularity ever warrant such a thing.

In sketching the past dimension for your character, you need to consider what fits in terms of the physical descriptions, personality traits, strengths and weaknesses and skills she's acquired, relationships she’s had, the internal and external conflicts she’s faced, and the environment she grew up in. What resulting goals and motivations are in line with who this character was, is, and justifiably will become? Your character’s past dimension should inspire more development of her present, as well as the future dimension waiting in the wings.

These dimensions of self work together to form the basis for three-dimensionality. Who your character is in the present should be a direct result of many of the things in her past dimension. If she was a geeky girl teased relentlessly all through school, it wouldn’t be hard to establish that friends and romantic relationships were all but nonexistent for her past self. If her present-day character has had a dramatic appearance change, that’s cohesive with her past self because she developed her appearance as a result of her experience. Her current internal conflicts need to reflect the ones she dealt with in her past, and her goals and motivations now should be in line with her coping mechanisms then.

In Part 2 of this three-part article, we'll talk about Future Self.

Karen S. Wiesner is the author of Three-Dimensional Fiction Writing

Volume 5 of the 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collection

http://www.writers-exchange.com/3d-fiction-fundamentals-series/

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/writing-reference-titles.html

Happy writing!

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series. Visit her here:

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

http://www.facebook.com/KarenWiesnerAuthor

Blood as a Youth Potion

Could techniques that restore markers of youth to old mice have any effect on human subjects?

Blood Transfusion Experiment in Mice

Cellular senescence, a "state in which cells stop growing and dividing," contributes to the aging of various tissues in the body. In one experiment, two mice were surgically spliced together, like Frankensteinian conjoined twins. The younger mouse showed signs of aging, while the old mouse gained some of the young one's youthful health. To distinguish blood-borne factors from other effects, the blood of old mice has been transfused into young ones, causing the recipients to show "increased expression of senescence biomarkers in the muscle, kidney, and liver." They also suffered loss of strength and endurance.

Senolytic agents, "drugs that eliminate senescent cells," when infused into the blood of the old mice, reduced the ill effects on the victims of the age-to-youth transfusions.

Conversely, transfusing the blood of young mice into old ones "decreased tissue damage in the liver, kidney, and muscles of old mice."

These studies remind me of a classic quasi-vampire story from 1896 (one year before DRACULA), "Good Lady Ducayne," by Mary Braddon. The wealthy title character has a reputation for being generous to her young, female paid companions. But why have they all mysteriously wasted away and died? It turns out that her villainous personal physician has been drugging the girls with chloroform and secretly draining their blood to transfuse it into their elderly employer, maintaining vigor unnatural for her advanced years. This method of forestalling the ravages of age sounds like obsolete pseudo-science. How surprising to learn that such a method might actually work, to some extent at least.

Unfortunately, neither senolytics nor the vital fluids of vigorous young people can presently act as a fountain of youth for human patients. If healthy blood could serve that purpose, negative social consequences such as exploitation of the incarcerated or the poor could result. Money or reductions in prison time might offer an irresistible temptation to "donate" blood to the privileged classes.

Special people whose blood confers health or immortality form a long-standing science fiction trope. For instance, THE IMMORTAL, a 1969-70 TV series, based on short stories by SF writer James Gunn, features a man whose transfused blood heals a dying millionaire. However, the effect wears off after a while. Naturally the rich man wants to keep the other one as a living blood bank, so the potential victim goes on the run. in Tananarive Due's African Immortals novels, beginning with MY SOUL TO KEEP, the Immortals of the series title keep their nature secret to avoid being hunted for their blood, through which their immortality can be passed on. If a human family or subspecies with rejuvenating blood existed, it seems all too likely that they might be imprisoned and bled for the benefit of the elite.

Margaret L. Carter

Carter's Crypt

Artificial Intelligentsia vs The Master Mind

There was a robot outside my hotel room door last night. 

It was about the size of R2D2, and its function was to vacuum the corridor carpet. As far as I could tell, and I watched it for a while, it missed almost all of the perimeters, and was not precise in its route to and fro between the walls.

I was tempted to see if it was as specially aware as a Tesla (for instance) and to place objects of various sizes in its path, such as myself, but I refrained.

I went for a walk on the beach, which took about three quarters of an hour. Upon my return, the bot was at a standstill in the middle of the corridor, about 3 doors (literally) down from where it had been when I stopped watching it. Now, it could have gorged itself on sandy grit and filled its bag... but it did not appear to have been able to summon maintenance.

SFWA has the preliminary results of asking writers for links to their opinions on their own blogs about AI and bots.

Here is the link.
https://www.sfwa.org/2023/03/03/sfwa-members-weigh-in-on-ai-machine-learning-applications-considerations/

Meanwhile, it is alleged that bots are causing mayhem in the concert arena. Not only are bots buying up all the best tickets, and then making them available for resale at elevated prices, but perhaps bots are selling people the right to buy a ticket in the future.

https://musictechpolicy.com/2023/03/01/the-attack-of-the-stubhub-future-bots-davidclowery-asks-the-georgia-legislature-when-is-a-georgia-concert-ticket-a-security/

Bots don't have consciences, and presumably, if a bot breaks the law, what deterrent would deter a bot?

There is a very interesting suggestion for the State of Georgia involving resale royalties on resold concert tickets. It's basically every so slightly scalping the scalpers!

The scalper scalped makes me think of Thomas Carlyle's Sartor Resartus, which is off topic in the extreme.

Legal blogger Zach Lewis for Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC reports on the copyright registration of a comic book containing AI generated images, and the subsequent stripping of the copyright for the AI-generatedd images.

https://ipandmedialaw.fkks.com/post/102i95b/the-dawn-of-a-new-era-u-s-copyright-office-registers-comic-book-featuring-ai-ge

IMHO, the most important take-away for authors is this:

Creators using AI in any capacity to generate content—including images, videos, music, code, scripts, books, games, and beyond—should endeavor to understand how the specific technology works and what rights they may or may not have in the final product.

This FKKS article might be very important for authors who are considering using AI for the first draft of a work, especially if they might post on social media about what they are doing.

Joseph C. Gratz of Morrison & Forester LLP discusses the same problem with the mid journey AI tool with eye-opening emphasis on what is understood by "a modicum of creativity" (which latter is a prerequisite for a work to be copyrightable), and what is necessary for an author to qualify as "a master mind" of the work.

https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/230301-copyright-office-denies-claim

All the best,

Rowena Cherry

SPACE SNARK™ 

http://www.spacesnark.com/  

http://www.rowenacherry.com

Karen S. Wiesner: Genre Straddling

Based on Writing the Standalone Series (formerly titled Writing the Fiction Series {The Guide to Novel and Novellas})

“The [series] tiger springs in the new year. Us he devours.” ~T. S. Eliot

“Straddling the fence”--when multiple genres make an appearance in a series and even in a single book--is becoming more and more common these days. Not only common, but in some ways irreverent and possibly even over-the-top, especially when you consider Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Quirk Books, the publisher of these hybrid novels that combine Classic novels with mania and pop culture horror, also publishes Ben H. Winters Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and others like it.

In most cases, however, the combination of genres in a novel or series isn’t so strange. After all, what goes together better than romance and suspense? These are two distinct genres, and yet they make perfect sense when paired either in a single book or separately in a series. It’s also not much of a stretch to combine historical and time-travel fiction in a series. But what happens when a series that started out as contemporary fiction suddenly dives into the pools of the supernatural or historical? Does that work? Or will you lose readers who expected one thing and got quite another? Among the authors and publishers I interviewed about this topic, the responses were about as varied as genres can sometimes be. 

Some authors weighed in against changing genres from one book to the next in a series. Luisa Buehler says, “Readers expect a series--that starts as one basic genre--to stay that way. It’s unfair to set them up for a traditional mystery with no graphic violence, sex, or language, then shift to a serial killer who kills brutally in great description.” N.J. Walters went further: “You have to always keep your readers in mind. They’re expecting something particular when they read a series. If all the books in the series are contemporary, for example, it would be strange to throw a paranormal in there. You’ll probably get readers who don’t like the paranormal and would be disappointed. In my opinion, a writer owes it to the readers not to change midstream. If you want to write a different genre book, then write one. Make it a standalone, or start a new series.” Vijaya Schartz agrees, “I discovered that, at least within a series, you want to remain in the same genre. Readers are funny that way. They expect the same atmosphere, the same type of story, and, if you switch gears on them, they’ll not only notice, but they might resent you for it. I write in various genres (contemporary romantic suspense, paranormal romance, sci-fi, fantasy romance, etc.) and I noticed that my readers do not always cross over from one genre to another. They know what they like, and that’s all they want to read.” Publisher Laura Baumbach adds, “Readers have expectations once they start a series, and I believe in giving them what they want. The series needs to stay on track and stick to one genre.” 

Consider that librarians and bookstore owners won’t know how to shelve books that lump too many genres into one. While no one wants to be pigeonholed, it’s what often happens in the distributor setting of selling books. 

Despite the arguments against multigenres in one series, many of the authors and publishers I interviewed saw no problem with crossing genres within the books in a series. Fantasy and mystery author Fran Orenstein says, “Overlap adds depth and interest. Why can’t fantasy have romance, or mystery have comedy?” Luisa Buehler, while against major leaps, advocates “stretching the basic genre.” Cat Adams believes that “Readers today are, for the most part, willing to ignore bookstore shelving requirements to expand their vision.” Publisher Miriam Pace refuses to pigeonhole her authors. “I want them to show me how versatile they are. I feel the more stories they can write in different genres, the wider their readership.” Fellow publisher J.M. Smith takes a practical approach to this: “It’s okay to mix genres as long as you have one that continues throughout. For instance, Wild Horse Press publishes the Ashton Grove Werewolves Series which is predominantly paranormal but there are a few books in the series that have fantasy and science fiction thrown in as well, with fairies, sorcerers, psychics, etc.” We’ve stressed that there are no rules, right? Charlotte Boyett~Compo puts this into perspective when she says, “While I appreciate my readers’ opinions, I’m not writing the books with that in mind.”  

Authors of series do have to write a story the way it needs to be written ... even if it ends up leaving the domain of the genre we started the series in. One way to handle this is to plan the series carefully. When I was writing my Wounded Warriors Series, I knew that one of the characters was psychic. I set up this detail in the first two books before I got to her story, and, when this contemporary women’s fiction/romance series reached the third book, Mirror Mirror, I think readers were prepared for a journey into the supernatural because I’d already established it in advance. I don’t believe it would have worked if I hadn’t planted that arc right away. Incidentally, while I didn’t return to the supernatural in the next three books, I also didn’t hide from the fact that this middle story contained it. How well executed something like this is in a series story is always determined by how well you set it up in advance.

I did the same thing in the tenth book in my Incognito Series (reissue release date TBA), which are basically action-adventure/romantic suspense novels. In Hypnotized, I introduced the concept of mind-reading within the background of using the “technology” for terrorism. The reviews and reader feedback I’ve received have convinced me this worked for Hypnotized regardless of how unlikely it was to find a book with a somewhat supernatural plot thread near the end of the long series. I also think this genre-straddling worked in part due to the fact that, within an author’s note that preceded the story, I included actual reports of the United States military attempting to develop a technique for mind-reading. This grounded the “supernatural” premise in fact, and the story mirrored this. The supernatural element was reality-based and therefore fit the series premise naturally. 

In any case, I believe it’s true that some genres simply lend themselves to straddling extremely well. Romantic fiction can fit well with most, if not all, other genres. Mysteries have also proved to be easily stretched in this regard. One example is Carrie Bebris’ respectfully rendered and amazingly executed Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery Series, which remains true to Jane Austin’s romance novels but presents a mystery to unravel that occasionally has a believable paranormal twist.

If genre straddling was a complete no-no, it would make no sense that historical mysteries are so popular these days. Time-traveling elements are also being effectively woven into any and every genre convincingly, including romance, historical, suspense, speculative fiction, and countless young adult series.   

I think we can conclude that authors don’t need to follow too many rules when it comes to straddling genres, but they must keep readers in mind when doing anything off-the-wall. If you lose more readers than you gain, what’s the benefit?

Karen S. Wiesner is the author of Writing the Standalone Series, Volume 3 of the 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collection

http://www.writers-exchange.com/3d-fiction-fundamentals-series/

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/writing-reference-titles.html

Happy reading!

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 140 titles and 16 series, including HYPNOTIZED, Book 10: Incognito Series

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/incognito-series.html

https://www.writers-exchange.com/incognito-series/

http://www.facebook.com/KarenWiesnerAuthor

The Fates of Magazines

Arley Sorg's "By the Numbers" column in the March-April 2023 MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION is titled "The Lifespan of a Magazine." After rereading the LOCUS "Magazine Summary" for the year 1989, he decided to explore statistics that might answer the question implied in the title. "Do magazines just pop up and die out all the time, or does it only feel that way?" Of the professional magazines discussed in that LOCUS issue, only the big three—ANALOG, ASIMOV'S, and FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION—survive today. FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION holds the distinction of having published continuously for over seventy years, a bona fide "miracle," as Sorg says. He summarizes the rise and fall of a variety of notable periodicals, print and electronic, professional and semi-pro. As a criterion for "notability," he cites the Hugos and other prestigious awards won or finaled for by the magazines or stories they published.

Some of his conclusions: Notability is no guarantee of longevity. Neither, it seems from his numbers, is the involvement of a big-name editor or the payment of high per-word rates to authors. Financial problems, although a frequent cause of death for magazines, aren't the only reason. Interpersonal conflicts have destroyed some. On the other hand, changes in editorship or ownership don't necessarily mean a periodical is doomed to a short life. And both print and electronic venues are vulnerable.

I was surprised not to see any mention of CEMETERY DANCE, which has published stories by many distinguished authors. Although it hasn't released a new issue in a couple of years, it thrived for a long time, its website remains live (with back issues for sale), and the company regularly publishes limited-edition books.

This topic raises the question of what qualifies as continuity. WEIRD TALES, as mentioned in the article, opened and closed several times under different ownership and even had a hiatus of almost two decades. At one point the "magazine" consisted of a few paperback anthologies edited by Lin Carter. (No relation. He accepted a story from me for his incarnation of WEIRD TALES but died before he got around to printing it; it was later published in an anthology called THE SHUB-NIGGURATH CYCLE.) Yet the current WEIRD TALES claims continuity with the vintage pulp magazine founded in 1923. In what sense can the present-day publication be considered the "same" periodical, other than sharing the name?

Sorg's final message: "Support the magazines and authors you love. It just might help them stick around."

This issue of FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION will stay on newstands until April 24, so if you want to read about the lifespans of periodicals in meticulous detail, you have time to pick up a copy.

Margaret L. Carter

Carter's Crypt

This And That

I am not going to talk about pronouns! However, that is what "this" and "that" can be, depending on the context. They can also be adjectives, demonstrative pronouns, adverbs, or even definitive articles.

The latter is new to me. I always thought that the definitive article is "the", and an indefinite article is "a" or "an". One is never to old to learn...

I am using "this and that" in the context of a rag bag,  ragbag or gallimaufry. Americans might more readily term it a grab bag.

Angela Hoy of Writers Weekly is always a source of great info. Her newsletter is free. Among the gems are some marketing tips from Kathleen Krueger for authors who are active on Facebook.

https://writersweekly.com/marketing-secrets/how-i-used-organic-facebook-posts-to-land-top-paying-clients-by-kathleen-krueger?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=writersweekly-com-112119_67 

An online news site with a name that is often pronounced as if it were spelled "epic" shared an article about a particular brand Takata air bags which have a 50% chance of blowing up in your face and a link to the excellent NHTSA site where you can type in your own VIN and find out instantly is your own vehicle is subject to a recall,

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

The Copyright Alliance has an event that may be of interest to anyone concerned (or thrilled) about AI.

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies continues to alter and impact creators' lives everywhere—and the film and video community is no exception. As these technologies develop, consequential copyright and ethical issues surround the training and use of these AI systems, their impact on copyrighted works, and how creators and filmmakers use AI in their own creations. Presented by the DC Independent Film Festival, Washington Lawyers for the Arts (WALA), and the Copyright Alliance, join our panelists on Saturday, March 4, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET at Landmark E Street Theatre in Washington, DC, as they discuss copyright issues in AI and the implications for the film and video industry. For more information, to submit questions in advance, and to register, please click here.

"Here" being:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/copyright-and-ai-in-film-and-video-production-a-discussion-with-experts-tickets-541106312547

The Authors Guild has a membership boosting campaign. They are offering new members $20 off their first year's subscription.... if they take up a referral from a friend.

https://go.authorsguild.org/join?rc=57e0498b09194644

That is my custom link, and if anyone uses it, they will get $20 off, and I will receive a $20 credit when I renew. An Authors Guild membership costs $135 a year (as of my last renewal in October 2022).

Also, for authors who need Tax Tips and are not slammed for time on Monday February 27th (like MONDAY!) at 2;00pm Eastern, there is a webinar on Zoom.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y0_KjqSMQCO_gbBiPK-thQ

One has to register, but there is a place to check on the registration form to say whether or not you are an Authors Guild member, so maybe non-members may register.

Finally for today's gallimaufry, there's something else about which to think concerning AI, and that is audiobooks. AI could doom voice talent.

The Trichordist discusses:  https://thetrichordist.com/2023/02/20/national-association-of-voice-actors-ai-synthetic-voice-rider-dont-lose-your-voice-forever/

All the best,

Rowena Cherry 

SPACE SNARK™  

http://www.spacesnark.com/  

http://www.rowenacherry.com

Karen S. Wiesner: I Want to Write a Series. Now What? Part 2

Writer's Craft Article by Karen S. Wiesner

I Want to Write a Series. Now What?

Part 2

Based on Writing the Standalone Series (formerly titled Writing the Fiction Series {The Guide to Novel and Novellas})

“The [series] tiger springs in the new year. Us he devours.” ~T. S. Eliot

This is the second of two posts dealing with writing a series.

In Part 1, we talked about developing a plan for your series. Let's continue.

Organizing Series Details

The best way to learn how not to write a series is with no organization whatsoever. Time and time again, you’ll miss countless opportunities to plant and develop seeds for C-S-P series potential as well as forcing yourself to backtrack to clear up issues that arise and can even lead to writing yourself into a corner. Establishing the basics can give you numerous insights for further-reaching developments.

While established authors may be capable of outlining every book in a series before writing even one, that may not be possible for everyone. Maybe the only way for you to figure out where you’re going with your series is to write the first book, then set it aside while you think about the next in the series and as many of the ones to follow as you can: Which characters will take the lead? What story will be told and conflicts arise? What seeds can you plant now in the first book to prepare readers for the next ones? Try filling out the C-S-P potential questionnaire as much as you can. The more you can get your mind brainstorming on these things, the more developed each story will be when it’s time to start working on it. Never underestimate the value of a story (and series!) sitting on the backburner of your mind.

How much pre-planning you ultimately do for your series is up to you, but I recommend attempting two things to see how far you can get.

Blurbing the Series and Story Arcs

Building on your C-S-P potential, the next step in figuring out where you’re going in the series is to write blurbs for the series and its individual stories. Play with them and don’t expect perfection the first time. You can work with them more as your series progresses.

When creating a Series Blurb, you’re not focusing on individual stories but on the series as a whole to get the gist of what it’s about. If the Series Blurb is done well enough, it’ll accurately reflect what every book in the series is about in a concise, intriguing summary. Remember your Series Ties while you’re working, since they’ll help you figure out what your Series Arc should be. In no more than four sentences, define your Series Arc by using “leads to” logic (note that the components don’t have to be in order, nor is a resolution required since you may not want to defuse the intrigue or tension):

Introduction --> Change à Conflicts --> Choices --> Crisis --> Resolutions

Here’s an example from my Incognito Series:

The Network is the world’s most covert organization. Having unchallenged authority and skill to disable criminals, the Network takes over where regular law enforcement leaves off in the mission for absolute justice. (Introduction) The price: Men and women who have sacrificed their personal identities (Choices) to live in the shadows (Change) and uphold justice for all (Conflicts)—no matter the cost. (Crisis)

Next, try blurbing the individual stories you foresee in the series. It’s all right if you’ve only gotten as far as brainstorming on one or two books. Start with what you have and go further as more comes to you. This process should help your ideas multiply.

In order to begin, you need at least a working knowledge of which characters will take the lead in individual stories and what each Story Arc (conflict) will be. If it helps, try writing free-form summaries covering the who, what, where, when, and why of each story. Now let’s create a back cover blurb using this equation (if you have more than one main character, do this for each):

  Who                                       (name of character)

Wants                                    (goal to be achieved)

because                             (motivation for acting),

but faces                (conflict standing in the way).

By filling in the blanks, you’ll flesh out your Story Blurb. As before, you can mix up the order of the components. Let’s look at an example of the Story Blurb from Dark Approach, the twelfth in my Incognito Series: 

Network operatives and lovers Lucy Carlton and Vic Leventhal (name of character{s}) have spent years living in the shadows, the property of the covert organization they gave their loyalty to in the lofty pursuit of justice for all. (motivation for acting) Disillusioned, they’re now determined to live their lives on their own terms. When the Network’s arch enemy secretly approaches the two about defecting—freedom for information that will disable the Network (goal to be achieved)—the couple must choose between love and loyalty. In the process, they jeopardize the Network’s anonymity...and its very existence. (conflict standing in the way)

Blurbing in this way will expand your series and get you excited about writing it.

The appeal of the series is obvious: You don’t have to leave behind characters, place or premise in a single book. You can continue with a whole series of them! While each story should stand on its own, no series book should feel quite complete without the others since readers are invested mentally, emotionally, and even physically. The best news is, after reading the first book in a series, they’ll crave infinitely more as long as each offering is an absolutely killer read.

Five Build-Your-Series-Muscles Exercises

1) Identify the Ties in your favorite series books and how all the stories connect and build off each other. Series and Story Blurbs should indicate this information.

2) Note the differences in open-ended series and those that have a definitive conclusion. Which appeals to you?

3) Outline the Series Arcs (whether loosely or clearly defined) in notable series you’ve read—can you follow the introduction, progression and resolution from start to finish?

4) Study several series, noting how the authors planted and developed seeds for C-S-P potential over the course of the series.

5) Consider what sets your series apart from others and what twists you can inject in each book.

Karen S. Wiesner is the author of Writing the Standalone Series: Volume 3 of the 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collection

http://www.writers-exchange.com/3d-fiction-fundamentals-series/

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/writing-reference-titles.html

Happy writing!

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.

Visit her here:

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

http://www.facebook.com/KarenWiesnerAuthor

AI Sermons?

To follow up the topic of "creative" artificial intelligence programs, here are some clergy-persons' thoughts about sermons composed by chatbots:

Sermons Written by ChatGPT

Not surprisingly, the consensus from representatives of several different faith traditions is that AI-composed sermons have no "soul." This is one genre in which the personal, human element remains essential. A rabbi in New York comments, “Maybe ChatGPT is really great at appearing intelligent, but the question is, can it be empathetic? And that, right now at least, it can’t.” A pastor in Minneapolis writes about the program's attempt to compose an essay on maintaining one's mental health during the stress of the holiday season, “Although the facts are correct, there is something profound missing. . . . AI can’t understand community and inclusivity and how important those things are in building a church.”

On the other hand, New Testament scholar Todd Brewer asked ChatGPT to write a Christmas sermon based on the Nativity story in Luke's gospel, "with quotes from Karl Barth, Martin Luther, Irenaeus of Lyons, and Barack Obama." He was taken aback when the resulting composition was “better than many Christmas sermons I’ve heard over the years.” However, judging from the listed criteria, the requested product sounds more like an article than a sermon. Brewer himself, again not surprisingly, said it lacked "human warmth." Given that reservation, can the AI really be said to "understand what makes the birth of Jesus really good news"? Not to mention the unlikelihood that artificial intelligence in its present stage of development can literally "understand" anything -- raising a whole other complex question, whether intelligence can exist without consciousness.

From reports on ChatGPT from people who've tried it, I get the impression that it can produce creditable essays on factual topics, if fed enough sufficiently specific data, although they tend to be "bland." In more creative endeavors, as might be expected, the program falls short. And it wouldn't be ethical to present the program's raw output as one's original work anyway.

Since I'm a slow writer and first-draft composing is my least favorite phase of the writing process, I've often wished that a word-processing program existed that would take my detailed outline—such as those I've constructed according to the plan in Karen Wiesner's excellent FIRST DRAFT IN THIRTY DAYS—and expand it into a fleshed-out draft of a novella or novel in my own style. I could take it from there with editing and revision. While it's possible to instruct ChapGPT to create a writing sample "in the style of" a particular author, I strongly doubt that procedure would work for fiction anytime soon. So for the time being I'll just have to continue tackling the laborious stage between outlining (which I enjoy) and revising (which I don't mind, up to a point) the hard way.

Margaret L. Carter

Carter's Crypt